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Ward's Reports Estimated Production

21 January 2000

Ward's Reports Estimated Production

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 21 -- Vehicle production this week in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico is expected to hit an estimated 340,616 units,
down from the 362,230 cars and trucks built last week, according to Ward's
Automotive Reports.
    Including this week's estimates, calendar year North American output now
totals 1,026,051 vehicles, up 7.3 percent from like-1999's pace.
    In the U.S., automakers are expected to produce 236,019 vehicles this week
-- a shortened workweek for almost all manufacturers for observance of the
Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday -- down 9.2 percent from the 259,918 cars and
trucks built last week.  To date, calendar 2000 U.S. vehicle output totals an
estimated 732,351 units, up 6.8 percent from the 685,562 vehicles built in
like-1999.
    This holiday week's Canadian vehicle production is estimated at 67,985, a
1.0 percent increase over the 67,285 units assembled last week.  Estimated
calendar-2000 Canadian vehicle production now stands at 192,578 units, up
6.2 percent from the 181,305 vehicles produced in like-1999.
    Of the cars and trucks slated for production this week in the U.S.,
General Motors Corp. accounted for 31.8 percent; Ford Motor Co., 27.4 percent;
Chrysler of DaimlerChrysler, 15.7 percent; Honda of America Mfg. Inc.,
5.9 percent; Toyota Motor Mfg. Inc., 5.9 percent; New United Motor Mfg. Inc.,
2.4 percent; Nissan Motor Mfg. Corp., 2.6 percent; Subaru-Isuzu Automotive
Inc., 1.7 percent; AutoAlliance International Inc., 1.1 percent; Mitsubishi
Motor Mfg. of America Inc., 1.3 percent; Mercedes-Benz U.S. of
DaimlerChrysler, 0.8 percent; BMW of North America Inc., 0.4 percent; and
other manufacturers, 3.0 percent.

                       NORTH AMERICA FACTORY PRODUCTION
          This Week   Last Week   Same Week   To Date   To Date   Pct. Change
          Estimated    Revised    Last Year    2000      1999    2000 vs. 1999
    U.S.
    Cars    106,911    113,686    102,651    313,047    303,555       3.1
    Trucks  129,108    146,232    128,357    419,304    382,007       9.8
    TOTAL   236,019    259,918    231,008    732,351    685,562       6.8
    Canada
    Cars     35,670     35,072     37,170    101,106    100,728       0.4
    Trucks   32,315     32,213     29,675     91,472     80,577      13.5
    TOTAL    67,985     67,285     66,845    192,578    181,305       6.2
    Mexico
    Cars     24,069     22,476     18,627     65,623     58,949      11.3
    Trucks   12,543     12,551     10,729     35,499     30,207      17.5
    TOTAL    36,612     35,027     29,356    101,122     89,156      13.4
    U.S.\Canada\Mexico
    Cars    166,650    171,234    158,448    479,776    463,232       3.6
    Trucks  173,966    190,996    168,761    546,275    492,791      10.9
    GRAND   340,616    362,230    327,209  1,026,051    956,023       7.3
    TOTAL

    Note: All figures include medium- and heavy-duty truck production.